Virginia Will Target Spans Like Fallen One

A bridge over the Rappahannock River between Middlesex County and the Northern Neck is one of 11 in Virginia similar to the span that collapsed Wednesday in Minneapolis.

Although the mile-long steel truss Virginia span is similar in design, that "doesn't necessarily mean there's something wrong with the bridge," said Lauren Hansen, a Virginia Department of Transportation spokeswoman.

A review of state records turned up the 11 bridges of similar design and construction, including the Robert Opie Norris Jr. Bridge over the Rappahannock. None of the other bridges is in the Hampton Roads or Middle Peninsula regions.

State officials began the review after learning of the failure of the Minnesota bridge.

All 11 bridges -- and others similarly designed that might turn up during the review of the state's 20,000 bridges and culverts -- will be inspected, beginning next week, Hansen said.

The Norris bridge has a rating of 46 percent on a scale of 0 percent to 100 percent, according to Federal Highway Administration records. According to the scale, 100 percent is an entirely sufficient bridge, and 0 percent is an entirely insufficient or deficient bridge.

The bridge is rated a four by the state on a scale of zero to nine, with zero being the worst condition and nine being the best condition.

Deficiencies might be minor, such as narrow lanes or culverts that need repairing. Other deficiencies could include a need for repainting.

The state employs about 100 bridge and culvert inspectors and contracts out other inspection work, Hansen said.

The decks, superstructures, substructures and culverts are each rated for their condition, and a bridge's general condition is based on the lowest component rating.

For example, the George P. Coleman Bridge that spans the York River between York and Gloucester counties had a rating of five after its inspection in August 2006.

The deck and superstructure each rated a six, but the condition of the substructure rated a five, according to VDOT records.

The Coleman was built in 1952 and expanded to four lanes in 1996, Hansen said. The 3,750-foot-long bridge is due to be inspected again in August 2008.

Other bridges on the Peninsula have fared well in recent inspections.

The four bridges that make up the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel ranged from a five to six on the zero-to-nine scale, according to state records.

The bridges were last inspected in 2005 and are due for another inspection this year, Hansen said.

The Monitor-Merrimac Memorial Bridge-Tunnel has two bridges that were each rated a six.

They were inspected in 2005 and are due to be inspected later this year, Hansen said.

The James River Bridge, completed in 1982, was inspected in September and received a rating of five.